Time delay elements are widely used in various applications to ignite or detonate an explosive device after a time delay. One example of a time delay element is a pyrotechnic time delay element. In general, pyrotechnic time-delays use combustion of a pyrotechnic composition, such as delay composition, to impose a time delay in transferring energy from one location to another. These pyrotechnic time-delays are dependant upon the controlled combustion of the delay composition. This dependency upon the controlled combustion of the delay composition can present various issues.
In general, the controlled combustion of the delay composition may be compromised by, for example, inconsistent particle size distribution, and inadequate mixing of the delay composition. Based on the delay composition used, the shelf life of the pyrotechnic time-delay may be limited. Further, the operation of the pyrotechnic time-delay may be susceptible to damage from environmental factors, such as humidity, temperature, vibration, shock, and acceleration. The accuracy of the pyrotechnic time-delay is limited to ±25%.
In another field of endeavor, a popular electrical generator is a thermal battery. In general, thermal batteries produce electrical power through pyrotechnic heating of an anode component, a cathode component, and an electrolyte component of a chemical battery. Thermal batteries are non-rechargeable, single use batteries that are inert before being activated. Thermal batteries also tend to be limited in the amount of output or electrical power that can be generated. In general, these thermal batteries become spent or lose the ability to produce electrical power after a short period of time and upon cooling. Because of this loss of electrical power output, thermal batteries may not be used where power events are widely spaced apart, instead separate batteries are used to power each event. Thermal batteries are typically designed to provide particular power profiles, for example, low current, long power life, high current, and short power life, which leads to multiple batteries per system.